Genesis 45
1 “Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all
them that stood by him; and
he cried, Cause every man to go out from me.
And there stood no man with him,
while Joseph made himself known unto his
brethren. 2
And he wept aloud: and
the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard.” Then (literally, and) Joseph could
not refrain himself (i.e. keep
himself from giving way to the impulses of love)
before
all them that stood by him (i.e. the Egyptian officials of his household); and he cried
(or made proclamation, issued an
instruction), Cause every man to go out from me.
And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto
his
brethren. It was true delicacy on the part of Joseph which prompted the discovery
of himself to his brethren in private; not simply because he did not wish to pain his
brethren by a public reference to
their past wickedness, ne facinus illud detestabile
multis testibus innoteseat (Calvin), but because the unrestrained outburst of emotion
erga fratres et parentem non posset ferre alienorum praesentiam et aspectum (Luther).
And he wept aloud (literally, and he gave forth, or uttered, his voice in weeping):
and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard. The meaning is that the Egyptian
officials of Joseph's house, who were standing outside, heard, and reported it to the
house of Pharaoh (Keil, Murphy). It is not necessary to suppose that Joseph's residence
was so close to the palace that his
voice was heard by the inmates (Lunge).
3 “And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph;
doth my father yet live?
And his brethren
could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.”
And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph. The effect of this announcement
can be better imagined than described. Hitherto he had been known to his brethren
as Zaphnath-paaneah. Now the voice and the appearance of their long-lost brother
would rush upon their minds at the first sound of the familiar name, and fill them
with apprehension. Probably Joseph's discernment of this in their countenances
was the reason why he asked so abruptly after Jacob. Doth my father yet live?
It is not now "the old man of whom ye spake" (ch. 43:27) for whom Joseph
inquires, but his own beloved and revered parent - "my father." "Before it was
a question of courtesy, but now of
love" (Alford). And his brethren could not
answer him; for they were troubled (or cast into a trepidation, hence terrified)
at his presence - literally, before his face. Not only did his present greatness
overawe them, but the recollection of their former crimes against him filled
them with alarm.
The Great Announcement (v. 3)
Not a stranger, but a brother. Yet they were slow to
receive comfort from
it.
The fact beyond all expectation; the suspicion of the unknown ruler
attaching itself to the newly-found brother; the remembrance of
their own
former cruelty; the doubt whether indeed the past were forgiven,
combined
to
make them “troubled at his presence.” Akin
to this is the slowness with
which the great revelation of the gospel is received, our adoption as sons
(Galatians 4:5) through our brotherhood with Christ;
members of
Christ, and thus children of God. Not the doctrine, for we are
familiar with
its
terms, but the practical reception of it. The gospel preached is “goodwill
to men;” the foundation on which it rests is the work whereby the
eternal Son became our brother and representative (II Corinthians 5:14).
The means of appropriation, belief that God has indeed done
this
thing for us (Matthew 11:28). Yet even to those who are longing
for
peace and salvation the message often seems to bring no real
comfort. The
truth of the doctrine is admitted, but Jesus is not recognized
as a personal,
present Savior. There is a feeling that something not declared
lies behind;
that there is some unexplained “if,” some condition to be fulfilled, some
part of the work to be done, ere it can be safe to trust. Conscious of sin,
they do not fully receive the offer as made to them such as they are. The
fact is, men often want to begin at the wrong
end; to
make some worthy
offering to God ere they have it to give (compare I
Chronicles 29:14;
I Corinthians 4:7); want to
gather fruit ere the tree is planted; to build a
spiritual house ere the foundation
is laid.
Christ crucified for us, the
fulfillment of Isaiah 53:5 – “But He was
wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities:
the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His
stripes
we are healed.” Its
primary message is not of something to follow our faith,
but of that on which our faith rests. The “foundation” of
spiritual life is not
our belief but CHRIST’S WORK (I
Corinthians 3:11)! But in practice
many
seem to regard the right to trust in Christ’s work as depending
on their being
in a fitting state of mind. And thus their mind is turned AWAY FROM
CHRIST to their own
state (compare Matthew 14:30). No
doubt there
must be a conviction of need ere the Savior can be welcomed (Matthew
9:12). But the evidence of that conviction is not our feelings
but
laying
our burden upon the Lord.
be accepted as it is made; not something else put in its
place. God’s
message is, TRUST IN CHRIST! To do this is to exercise faith. But the
answer often is, I must first see whether I have faith. It is as
if when our
Lord bade the impotent arise, he
had answered, I must first feel that I have
the power. Faith depends not on accurate knowledge. The gospel is for the
ignorant; and
what it claims is that we receive it according to the measure of
our knowledge, guided by those means of instruction which we
possess.
Christ accepted, trusted, is
made unto us wisdom,
righteousness,
sanctification, and redemption! (I Corinthians 1:30).
Ø
Faith leads to more
communion with Christ.
Ø
The Bible becomes
a living voice instead of a dead
letter.
Ø
Channels of knowledge are opened, and
Ø
daily increasing
powers are given where the will is to be
really Christ’s (John
6:68).
4 “And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to
me, I pray you. And they
came near. And he said,
I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into
5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with
yourselves, that ye sold me
hither: for God did send me before you to
preserve life.
6 For these two years
hath the famine been in the land: and yet there
are five years, in the which
there shall neither be earing
nor harvest. 7
And God sent me before you to
preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save
your lives by a great
deliverance. 8 So
now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and
He hath made me a
father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a
ruler
throughout all the
say unto him, Thus saith
thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all
come down unto me, tarry not: 10 And thou shalt dwell in the
and thou shalt be
near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children's
children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all
that thou hast:
11 And there
will I nourish thee; for yet there are five
years of famine; lest thou, and thy
household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty. 12 And,
behold, your
eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin,
that it is my mouth that
speaketh unto
you. 13 And
ye shall tell my father of all my glory in
of all that ye have seen; and ye shall haste
and bring down my father hither.”
And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. It is probable
they had instinctively shrunk from his presence on learning the astounding fact
that he was Joseph, but felt reassured by the kindly tone of Joseph's words.
And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold
into
Joseph does in a spirit not of angry upbraiding, but of elevated piety and tender
charity. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves (literally, let
it not burn in your eyes, as in ch. 31:35), that ye sold me hither (their self-
recriminations and heart upbraidings for their former wickedness Joseph in
all probability saw depicted in
their faces): for God (Elohim) did send me
before you to preserve life
(literally, for the preservation of life). For these
two years hath the famine been in the land (literally, in the midst of the land):
and yet there are five years, in the
which there shall neither be earning nor
harvest - literally, neither ploughing nor reaping, the term ploughing, or earing,
charish (compare ἄροσις – arosis - , aratio, Anglo-Saxon, erian), being derived
from a root signifying to cut. And God (Elohim, the use of which here and in
v. 5 instead of Jehovah is sufficiently explained by remembering that Joseph
simply desires to point out the overruling providence of God in his early
transportation to
earth (literally, to keep for you a remnant on the earth, i.e. to preserve the
family from extinction through the
famine), and to save your lives by a great
deliverance - literally, to preserve life to you to a great deliverance, i.e. by a
providential rescue (Rosenmüller, Kalisch, Murphy, 'Speaker's Commentary'),
which is better than to a great nation or posterity, פְלֵיטָה being understood,
as in II Samuel 15:14; II Kings 19:30-31, to mean a remnant escaped from
slaughter (Bohlen), an interpretation which Rosenmüller thinks admissible,
but Kalisch
disputes. So now (literally, and now) it
was not you that sent me
hither, but God - literally,
for the Elohim (sent me). Joseph's
brethren sent
him to be a slave; God sent him to be a savior (Hughes). And
he hath made
me a father to Pharaoh, - i.e. a wise and confidential friend and counselor
(Keil, Kalisch, 'Speaker's Commentary;' compare I Maccabees 11:32). Murphy
explains the term as signifying "a second author of life," with obvious reference
to the interpretation of his dreams and the measures adopted to provide against
the famine - and lord of all his house, and a
ruler throughout all the land
(see ch.
41:40-41). Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus
saith thy
son Joseph, God (Elohim) hath made me lord of all
unto me, tarry not: and thou shalt dwell in the
Αραβίας – gesem
branch of the Nile, extending as
far as the wilderness of
(ch.
46:34), exceedingly fertile (ch. 47:6), styled also
the
and including the cities Pithon and Rameses (Exodus 1:11), and probably also On,
or
Moses,' p. 42; Gesenius,
'Lexicon,' p. 183). And thou shalt be near unto me, thou,
and thy children, and thy children's
children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and
all that thou hast: and there will I nourish thee (the verb is the Pilpel of כּול, to
hold up, hence to sustain); for
yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and
thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty - literally, be robbed,
from יָרַשׁ, to take possession (Keil), or fall into slavery, i.e. through poverty
(Knobel, Lange). And,
behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother
Benjamin, that it
is my mouth that speaketh unto you. And ye shall tell
my
father of (literally, ye shall relate to my father) all my glory (compare ch.31:1)
in
bring down my father hither. Calvin thinks that Joseph would not have made
such liberal promises to his brethren without having previously obtained Pharaoh's
consent, nisi regis permissu; but this does not appear from the narrative.
“Now therefore be not grieved, nor
angry with yourselves.....for God did
send me before you to preserve life.”
Ø
To preserve life.
Ø
To set the seed of
the better society in the midst of the corruptions
and imperfections of the old.
Ø
To prepare the
way for the higher revelations of the future.
Ø
The history of His
people, their persecutions, their apparent
humiliations, their marvelous victories.
Ø
The transformation of men,
whereby enemies are made friends.
Ø
The biographies of
distinguished servants of God illustrate His
grace in bestowing fitness for appointed work.
BECOME REVELATIONS.
Ø
Time a great revealer.
Wait for
the Lord.
Ø
The narrow circle of a
family history taken up into the higher sphere
of Divine purposes concerning nations and humanity itself.
Ø
Ultimate vindication
of the spiritual men and spiritual principles as
against
the merely earthly and selfish aims of individuals or
communities.
14 “And he fell upon his brother
Benjamin's neck, and wept; and Benjamin
wept upon his neck. 15 Moreover
he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon
them: and after that his brethren talked with him.” And he (i.e. Joseph)
fell upon his brother Benjamin's
neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon
his neck. "Benjamin is the central point whence leads out the way to reconciliation"
(Lange). "Here brotherly affection is drawn out by affection, tear answering tear"
(Hughes; compare ch. 33:4). Moreover
he kissed all his brethren, - "the
seal of
recognition, of reconciliation, and of salutation" (Lange) - and wept upon them.
It has been thought that Benjamin stood when Joseph embraced him, and that
the two wept upon each other's neck, but that the brethren bowed themselves
at Joseph's feet, causing the expression to be, "and he wept upon them" (Lange).
And after that his brethren talked with him - feeling themselves reassured by
such demonstrations of affection.
Joseph’s Discovery of Himself to His Brethren
(1-15)
Ø
How it was made.
o
In privacy. “There stood no man with Joseph, while he
made himself
known to his brethren.” This was natural. The emotions of the
moment
were too
strong and deep to be shared in or even witnessed by strangers.
But it was also
merciful. Joseph knew that he could not divulge his
secret without
a reference to the past, and he would not expose his
brothers’ guilt and shame in the presence of unsympathetic
lookers-on.
o
With tears. “Joseph could not
refrain himself” even “before
all
them that stood before him,” and scarcely had they withdrawn
than “he wept aloud.” From the first Joseph
had a Herculean
task to perform in keeping his emotion within bounds. This was
partly the explanation of the rough treatment he gave his
brethren.
Had he yielded to the
tender feelings which the sight of Reuben
and Judah and the others kindled in his breast, he would
at once
have been discovered. Yet it was all that he could do to avoid
detection. Once and again he had to retire from their presence to
relieve his bursting heart by “weeping” (compare ch. 42:24;
43:30). But this time the rising
flood of emotion was too strong to
be repressed even long enough to admit of his escape. The
pathetic
eloquence of
the sublime and affecting heroism of the man who offered
himself
to be a bondman for ever, that his young brother might escape
and
that his father’s heart might not be broken, was too much for
the
Egyptian viceroy,
and he sobbed aloud.
o
With forgiveness. Few things are more touching in this wholly
melting story than the considerate tenderness of Joseph in
sparing his brethren’s feelings, and the exquisite delicacy with
which he leads them to understand that he cherishes against
them not the least resentment. Scarcely has he made the
startling
disclosure that he was Joseph, than, as if to prevent them from
thinking of their sin, he hurries on to ask about their father.
Then, as he sees them
shrinking in alarm from his presence,
expecting doubtless that the hour of recompense for
had arrived, he kindly asks
them not to stand aloof from him,
but to come near.
Again, as he understands the impossibility
of their ever shutting their eyes to their deplorable wickedness,
he tries to lead them rather to contemplate the wonderful way
in which the hand of God had overruled his captivity for the
salvation of their entire household. “So now it was not you
that sent me hither, but God.” Beautiful sophistry of love!
I do not know that Joseph’s
brethren would believe it: but
it is obvious that in the enthusiasm of his forgiving love
Joseph did.
Ø
How it was received.
o
With surprise. This was only to be expected. It must
have
fallen on
Joseph s brethren like a thunderbolt. It manifestly
struck
them into silence. “They could not answer him.”
(Think of
standing at the Judgment before the King of the
Universe –
“speechless”
– see Matthew 22:12 – CY – 2018)
o
With alarm. Apprehending vengeance, they were
“troubled
at
his presence,” and
involuntarily shrank from before him.
o
With pain. They were grieved and angry with
themselves, not
that Joseph
was alive, but that ever he had been sold. Many a
time
during the past years, and in particular since their first
visit to
child of
Rachel. Now the anguish of their
self-reproach
was
almost more than they could bear. And this was the
best sign
of its sincerity, that it was intensified rather than
diminished
by the sight of Joseph (compare Zechariah 12:10).
True penitence,
as distinguished from remorse, is sorrow for
sin,
irrespective altogether of its consequences.
Ø To carry an invitation. “Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto
him, Thus saith thy
son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all
down unto me, and tarry not.”
Ø To deliver a promise. “And thou shalt
dwell in the
“there will I nourish thee.”
Ø To explain a reason “For
yet there are five years of famine; lest thou,
and thy household, and all that thou hast,
come to poverty.”
Ø To provide an authentication. “And, behold, your eyes see, and the
eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my
mouth that speaketh unto you.”
Ø To
supply an encouragement. “And ye shall tell my
father of all my
glory in
Ø To return with an answer. “And ye shall haste and bring down my father
hither.”
Ø With tears of joy. “He
fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck, and wept;
and Benjamin wept upon his neck.” Over the rest of his brothers also as
they
bowed before him “he wept.”
Ø With kisses of love. “Moreover he kissed all his brethren”
— not even
forgetting
Simeon, who probably had bound him.
Ø With words of cheer. “After that his brethren talked with him.”
scene, a brilliant constellation of heavenly virtues and holy
graces.
1. Of fraternal
affection in his tender dealing with
his brethren.
2. Of filial piety in his considerate regard for his father.
3. Of eminent devotion in recognizing the hand of God in all his past
fortunes.
4. Of exquisite
sensibility in being so quickly moved
to tears.
Darkness Turned into Light (vs. 1-15)
Joseph’s revelation of himself to his brethren in the
atmosphere of the
purest brotherly affection and grateful acknowledgment of Divine
goodness. Only small natures are ashamed of tears. At first the men
who
had
a great sin upon their consciences were only troubled at the presence
of
their injured brother, but soon the free and full manifestation of his love
turns all their fears into rejoicing. Joseph wept for joy at
their return to
him,
and they were henceforth his brethren indeed. Although for a time we
carry the burden of our
sins and feel their weight, even though we
believe
that they are forgiven, still as God reveals Himself to us and surrounds us
more and more with
the embrace of his love, we lose the constraint of our
painful remembrance, and rejoice with all our hearts in present peace and
future glory.
16 “And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh's
house, saying, Joseph's
brethren are come: and it pleased Pharaoh well, and
his servants.”
And the fame thereof - literally, the voice, hence rumor (compare Jeremiah 3:9) –
was heard in Pharaoh's house (having been brought thither doubtless by some
of the Court officials), saying, Joseph's brethren - it is probable that they would
style him Zaphnath-paaneah
(compare ch. 41:45) are come (i.e. are
arrived in
and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants - literally, it was good in the eyes of
Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants (compare ch. 41:37). The Septuagint render
ἐχάρη δὲ Φαραὼ - echarae de Pharao ; the Vulgate, gavisus est Pharao, Pharaoh
was glad.
17 “And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy
brethren, This do ye; lade
your beasts, and go, get you unto the
and your households, and come unto me: and I
will give you the good of the
of
Say unto thy brethren, This do ye; lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land
of
have been an independent invitation given by the Egyptian king to Joseph's relatives;
but it is more than likely that Joseph had already told him of the proposal he had made
to his brethren, and that he here receives
a royal confirmation of the same). And I will
give you the good of the
(Rosenmüller, Lange, and others); though the phrase is probably synonymous with
that which follows - and ye shall eat the fat of the land. The fat of the land meant
either the richest and most fertile portion of it (Lunge, Kalisch), or the best and
choicest of its productions (Gesenius, Keil). Compare Deuteronomy 32:14;
Psalm 147:14.
19 “Now thou art commanded, this do ye; take you
wagons out of the land of
Egypt
for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come.
20 Also regard not your
stuff; for the good of all the
Now thou art commanded, this do ye; - an apostrophe to Joseph, Pharaoh manifestly
regarding the cause of Joseph and his brethren as one (Rosenmüller, Keil, Lange,
and others) - take you wagons out of the
to (עַגָּלות, from עָגַּל to roll) were small two-wheeled vehicles suitable for a flat
country like
cattle, and employed for carrying agricultural produce. Herodotus mentions a
four-wheeled car which was used for transporting the shrine and image of a deity
(2:63; see Rawlinson's edition,
and note by Sir G. Wilkinson) for your little ones,
and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. Pharaoh meant them to
understand that they had not only Joseph's invitation, but his (Pharaoh's)
commandment, to encourage them to undertake so serious a project as the
removal of their households to
and your eyes shall not (i.e. let them not) grieve for your utensils (i.e. articles
of domestic furniture), although you should require to leave them behind
(Septuagint, Rosenmüller, Keil, Kalisch, Lange, et alii). The rendering of
the Vulgate, nec dimittatis quicquid de supellectili vestra, conveys a meaning
exactly the opposite of the true one, which is thus correctly expressed by Dathius:
Nec aegre ferrent jacturam
supellectilis suet. For the good of all the
21 “And the children (sons) of
according to the commandment (mouth) of Pharaoh, and gave them provision
for the way.
22 To all of them he gave each man
changes of raiment; but to
Benjamin he gave
three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of
raiment.”
To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; - literally, alterations of
garments, i.e. changes or suits of dress (Judges 14:12-13; II Kings 5:5); probably
dress clothes for special occasions (Keil, Lange, Murphy); δισσὰς στολὰς –
dissas stolas – changes of clothing (Septuagint); binas stolas (Vulgate) - but
(literally, and) to Benjamin he gave - not to make amends for having given
him a fright (Lange), but as a special token of fraternal affection (Murphy) –
three hundred pieces of silver,-literally, three hundred of silver (compare
ch. 43:34) - and five changes of raiment - which renders it probable that the
brothers only received two.
23 “And to his father he sent after this manner; ten
asses laden with the
good things of
meat for his father by the way.” And to
his father he sent after this manner;
ten asses (see ch.12:16) laden
with (literally, carrying) the good things of
and ten she asses laden with (or carrying) corn and bread and meat - probably
prepared meats, some sort of
delicacy (Clarke) - for his father by the way.
24 “So he sent his brethren away, and they departed:
and he said unto them,
See that ye fall not out by the way.” So (literally, and) he sent his brethren away,
and they departed: and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way. The
verb רָגַן signifies to be moved or disturbed with any violent emotion, but in particular
with anger (Proverbs 29:9; Isaiah 28:21; compare Sanser. rag, to move oneself, Greek
ὀργή - orgae - anger, Latin frango, Gerregen), and is here generally understood as an
admonition against quarrelling
(Septuagint, μὴ οργιζεσθε
– mae orgizesthe –
don’t quarrel; Vulgate, ne irascimini) (Calvin, Dathius, Rosenmüller, Keil, Murphy,
Lange, Alford, et alii), although by others (Tuch, Baumgarten, Michaelis, Gesenius,
Kalisch) it is regarded as a dissuasive against fear of any future plot on the part of
Joseph.
25 “And they went up out of
their father,
26 And told him, saying, Joseph is yet
alive, and he is governor over
all the
27 And they told him all the words of Joseph, which
he had said unto them:
and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had
sent to carry him, the spirit
of Jacob their father revived: 28 And
is yet alive: I will go and see him before I
die.” And they went up out of
and came into the
Joseph is yet alive, and he (literally, and that he; an emphatic assurance which Keil,
following Ewald,
renders by" yea," and Kalisch by
"indeed") is governor over all
the
A grew chill, the primary idea of the root being that of rigidity through coldness;
compare πηγνύω – paegnuo - to be rigid, and pigeo, rigeo, frigeo, to be chill.
The sense is that Jacob s heart seemed to stop with amazement at the tidings
which his sons brought), for he believed them not. This was scarcely a case of
believing not for joy (Bush), but rather of incredulity arising from suspicion,
both of the messengers and their message, which was only removed by further
explanation, and in particular by the sight of Joseph's splendid presents and
commodious carriages. And
they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had
said unto them: - i.e. about
Joseph's invitation and promise (vs. 9-11) - and when
he saw the wagons -
probably royal vehicles (Wordsworth) - which Joseph had
sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived (literally, lived; it having
been previously numb and cold, as if
dead): and
here is significant. The
sublime theocratic designation, which
had dropped into
obscurity during the period of the old man's sorrow for his lost
son, revives with
the resuscitation of his dead hope (compare ch. 43:6) - It is enough (one word,
as if expressing his complacent satisfaction); Joseph my son is yet alive (this is
the one thought that fills his aged heart): I will go down - "The old man is young
again in spirit; he is for going immediately; he could leap; yes, fly" (Lange) –
and see him (a sight of Joseph would be ample compensation for all the years
of sorrow he had passed through) before I die. He would then be ready to be
gathered to his fathers.
Joseph’s Invitation to Jacob (vs. 16-28)
issue such a commission as he had just entrusted to his
brethren, Joseph
felt that it would be right and proper to have his sovereign’s
sanction.
Accordingly, on mentioning the
matter to the king, the required consent
was:
Ø
Immediately obtained. “Say unto thy brethren, This do ye; lade
your
beasts, and go, get you unto the
and your households, and come unto me.” It was also:
Ø
Sincerely given,
as was attested by the royal order to take
Egyptian
curricles (a light and open two-wheeled carriage) in order to convey
the immigrants. “Now thou art commanded, this
do ye; take you
wagons out of the
and for your wives, and bring your father, and come.” And,
still further, it was:
Ø
Warmly urged,
by a handsome promise — “I
will give you the good of
the
exhortation — “Also regard not your stuff; for the good of
all the land
of
of any demonstration, it would at once have been supplied by:
Ø
The splendid carriages he sent from
they had such an influence upon the heart of Jacob is apparent
from the
narrative. At first the old man could not bring himself to credit
the report
which his sons brought; but when he saw the wagons which Joseph
had
sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived.
Ø
The valuable presents he bestowed upon his brethren and sent to his
father: to each of the two “changes of raiment;” to Benjamin
300
pieces of silver and five “changes of raiment;” to his
father ten asses
laden with the good things of
corn and bread and meat for his father by the way. Gifts such
as these
were an index to the love which dwelt in Joseph’s heart.
Ø
The good counsel he addressed to his
brethren: “See that ye fall not out
by the way.” It was
not likely if they disagreed among themselves that
they would execute successfully the great commission Joseph had
entrusted to them. It was a token of his anxiety for their
accomplishing
his mission that they should unitedly
and lovingly address themselves
to its performance.
marvelous intelligence. The invitation of Joseph was detailed:
Ø
Faithfully. On the last occasion on which they had returned to
with tidings concerning Joseph they had lied, and their father
believed
them; this time, although the old man believed not, what they
said was
true: “Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor
over all the
adding that he wished his venerable parent to go down to
him.
Ø
Fully. “They told him all the words of Joseph which
he had said unto
them,” not forgetting
to deliver him the presents, and point him to the
wagons or royal carriages which his son had sent for his
conveyance
thither.
listened seemed on its first hearing to be incredible. Such a shock
did it
give to his feeble sensibilities that his heart almost stopped
its beating.
Apprehending that they were only
mocking his already aged and bereaved
spirit, he believed them not. But at length the splendid carriages
carried
conviction to his mind, and he believed;
Ø
With holy satisfaction. “It is enough.” Since this was true,
he had no
desires unsatisfied below.
Ø
With paternal love. “Joseph my son” (what tenderness in
the words!)
“is yet alive.”
Ø
With simple confidence. “I will go down and see him before I die.”
Ø
The Grace of God to His people (vs. 16-28)
We are now dealing no longer with Joseph’s personal
history, but brought
out
into the larger sphere of “the children
of
may
be said the Egyptian period in the history of the children of
commenced. Pharaoh comes upon the scene and his servants. All the
wealth of
the
transgressors against Joseph are now the mediators of the great change
in
the condition and prospects of the Israelitish race.
The effect upon the
old
man’s heart was great!
The Believer led to His Reward (vs. 25-28)
Jacob’s incredulity conquered. His spirit revived. His resolution taken.
DEPENDENT UPON OUR CONFIDENT BELIEF AND
EXPECTATION.
Ø
Separation from the
old for the new life involves a struggle with:
o
self,
o
circumstances, and with
o
fellow-men.
Ø
The future must be laid hold of.
We must believe that the better
place is prepared for us, that
the will of God is good.
AND DIFFICULTIES WHEN WE SIMPLY LOOK AT THE FACTS AS
GOD HAS SET THEM BEFORE US, BOTH IN HIS WORD AND IN
HIS
good things, the blessings plainly sent of God, earnest of the future, would
not deceive.
THE INVITATION OF DIVINE GRACE, ACTING UPON IT, BOTH
BY THE DECISION OF THE WILL AND BY THE DEVOTION OF
THE LIFE. “It is
enough, I will go.”
OBEDIENCE IS MUCH GREATER THAN WE CAN ANTICIPATE.
To see Joseph was the
patriarch’s anticipation. The purpose of God was much
larger for him. Joseph and Jacob met in the abundance of
earthly pilgrimage leads to the true
voice of our God. It hath not entered
into our heart TO CONCEIVE
WHAT IS BEFORE US! (I Corinthians 2:9)
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